ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said he is trying to revive peace between the Afghanistan government and Taliban after the latest round of talks was derailed by untimely news of the death of Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

Islamabad organised the first set of direct peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government in July, but another round was abandoned after the announcement of Taliban chief Mullah Omar's death.

Since then, the insurgents have unleashed a wave of violence, including seizing the northern Afghan provincial capital Kunduz in their most spectacular victory since being toppled from power in 2001.

“We are now trying to resume the (peace) process and pray to God to crown our efforts with success,” Sharif said in televised remarks to the media from Lahore.

“The news of Mullah Omar should not have been broken just before the start of the second round of talks.”

Pakistan has historically supported the Taliban insurgents and many Afghans accuse it of nurturing militant sanctuaries on its soil in the hope of maintaining influence in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's deputy army chief this week said Pakistan's military had helped the Taliban to capture Kunduz and Pakistani generals had escaped the city wearing burqas – a claim Pakistan denied.

Related:Pakistan says Taliban occupation of Kunduz unacceptable

News of Mullah Omar's death created a rift among the insurgents, after they admitted that the death of the talismanic one-eyed group founder had been kept secret for two years.

The rumours of Mullah Omar's ill-health and even demise had regularly surfaced in the past, but Sharif questioned the timing of the announcement in July so close to talks aimed at brokering a ceasefire.

“I don't know who broke this news and why it was done so just two days before the start of the second round, is still a mystery,” he said.

Also Read: Pakistan ready to facilitate Afghan-Taliban peace talks: Sartaj

Pakistan's efforts to broker peace talks

Pakistan hosted a meeting between the Afghan Government and Afghan Taliban representatives on July 7 in Murree with representatives of China and the US also participating in the meeting.

The second round of the talks, which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan on July 31, was postponed in view of reports regarding the death of Mullah Omar and the ensuing leadership crisis among Taliban.

New Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor called for unity in the movement in his first audio message released August 1.

Mansoor gave mixed signals about the peace process, while vowing to continue jihad to implement Shariah in Afghanistan.

Also Read: 'Pakistan and Afghanistan need each other’